Each week, we take a look at the 10 top Heisman candidates. Johnny Manziel’s performance—even though in a loss to Alabama—proved that he has a real shot to win the award a second consecutive season. But it won’t be easy—Oregon’s Marcus Mariota is off to a blazing start and Clemson’s Tajh Boyd has been stellar.

This week, we compare each of the 10 candidates to a previous Heisman winner.

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QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon

The stats: In three games, Mariota is 49 of 82 passing (59.8 percent) for 889 yards, seven TDs and no interceptions. He also has 262 rushing yards (17.5 yards per carry) with four scores. He has seven carries of at least 20 yards.

Compares to: Johnny Manziel, 2012. It’s difficult to imagine anyone putting the type of season together that Manziel had in 2012. But Mariota is off to that sort of start—and then some. The sophomore is averaging 10.8 yards per pass attempt (Manziel averaged 8.8) and while Mariota won’t run the ball with the frequency that Manziel does, when he does tuck it under, he’s unrivaled so far in 2013. On 15 carries, Mariota is averaging 17.5 yards per carry. Manziel averaged 7.0 yards on 201 carries last season.

The stats: In two games, he’s 32 of 53 passing (60.4 percent) for 439 yards, three TDs and no interceptions. Boyd also has 52 rushing yards and three TDs.

Compares to: Charlie Ward, 1993. When Ward won the Heisman at FSU, he was about as efficient as a quarterback could be. He completed 69.5 percent of his passes and had plenty of weapons. Boyd’s completion percentage is down slightly this season, but expect it to creep toward that 70 percent mark. Ward opted to play in the NBA instead of NFL—that won’t happen here, Boyd will be an NFL quarterback. Ward could make plays with his feet and Boyd is also capable when called upon to do that.

The stats: In three games, Manziel is 63 of 89 passing (70.8 percent) for 984 yards, 11 TDs and three interceptions. He has rushed for 153 yards and one score.

Compares to: Doug Flutie, 1984. Let’s make this clear: Manziel is a better passer than Flutie. Flutie threw fore more than 10,000 career yards at Boston College, but also threw a lot of interceptions—70 career TD passes to 56 picks. But during his Heisman year, Flutie threw for 3,634 yards, 30 TDs and 13 interceptions. Like Manziel is now, Flutie was great at improvisation—and that was during a time when quarterbacks didn’t take off with the ball that much.

The stats: In two games, Hundley is 38 of 57 passing (66.7 percent) for 568 yards, five TDs and one interception. He has 124 rushing yards and two TDs.

Compares to: Robert Griffin III, 2011. Hundley was spectacular throwing the ball last season as a freshman and he’s been even better in 2013. He’s averaging 10.0 yards per pass attempt. In Baylor’s high-scoring attack, RG3 averaged 10.7 per attempt and completed 72.4 percent of his passes. And yes, RG3 is faster than Hundley, but he wasn’t the team’s No. 1 running threat and gained 699 yards with 10 scores. Hundley complements lead back Jordon James and is on pace to put up comparable numbers on the ground to RG3. The Bruins’ schedule likely prevents Hundley from reaching the 4,293 passing yards Griffin had.

The stats: In two games, 42 carries for 286 yards (6.8 yards per carry) and three TD runs. He also has two receptions, including a 7-yard TD catch.

Compares to: Herschel Walker, 1982. The comparions began last season and they’re inevitable for every promising Bulldogs back who comes through Athens and Gurley through 16 games sizes up as well—if not better—than any. Walker was a workhorse—he carried the ball 994 times in three seasons. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and scored 49 times. In his Heisman season, Walker ran for 1,752 yards and 16 scores. Gurley is averaging 6.8 yards per carry and is on pace to gain 1,716 yards over 12 games.

The stats: He’s 62 of 88 (70.5 percent) for 1,002 yards, 10 TDs and one interception. He has 35 rushing yards.

Compares to: Matt Leinart, 2004. The differences are obvious: Leinart is a lefty and played on the West Coast for a national title contender in USC. But their stats are almost identical. Both are wildly efficient. Leinart completed 65.7 percent of his throws in 2004 for 3,815 yards with 28 TDs, eight interceptions and a 8.9 yards per attempt average. Bridgewater is trending better than each of those categories. But last year, Bridgewater threw for 3,718 yards, 68.5 percent passing, 27 TDs, eight picks and 8.9 yards per attempt. Yeah, that’s pretty much spot on. Leinart wasn’t a runner either, but in ’04, he scored six times on the ground.

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QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State

The stats: In one full game before he suffered a minor knee injury, Miller is 17 of 24 passing (70.8 percent) for 208 yards, two TDs and one interception. He has rushed for 82 yards.

Compares to: Cam Newton, 2010. Miller’s passing is still a work in progress. Newton improved almost weekly as a passer during Auburn’s national title run as offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn better understood what he had in Newton. Few quarterbacks match Newton’s size, speed and athleticism—Miller is much smaller, but his speed and athleticism are comparable. Newton had a knack for hitting the long TD pass—his threat as a runner certainly made that happen—and if Miller can make teams pay in the passing game for focusing on him as a runner, this comparison gets stronger.

The stats: In two games, Petty is 31 of 39 passing (79.5 percent) for 628 yards, four scores and no interceptions. He has 11 rushing yards.

Compares to: Carson Palmer, 2002. Both quarterbacks are veterans, although this is Petty’s first season as a starter. Both are surrounded by lots of talent on offense. Petty hasn’t been tested the way Palmer was during his Heisman season, but will be. While Palmer threw for 3,942 yards, Petty’s numbers have the potential to be much bigger as he stays on the field longer (the Bears’ first two games were blowout wins). He averages a staggering 16.1 yards per pass attempt.

The stats: The freshman is 40 of 45 passing for 570 yards, six TDs and one interception in two games. He has 33 rushing yards and two scores.

Compares to: Troy Smith, 2006. With such a small sample, it’s difficult to link Winston to a previous Heisman winner. His numbers through two games are incomprehensible. But the schedule gets tougher soon and Winston’s stats should look more human. Smith was athletic and completed a high percentage (65.3 in 2006). Smith ran enough to stay out of trouble—he gained 204 his Heisman season after totaling 611 the previous season—and Winston appears to have similar capabilities.

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QB AJ McCarron, Alabama

The stats: In two games, the senior is 30 of 52 for 444 yards, five TDs and one interception.

Compares to: Sam Bradford, 2008. Again, the differences are as notable as the similarities. Bradford played in a spread attack for a Sooners team that scored 50 points nine times, including five consecutive wins with at least 60. McCarron will never throw the ball as often as Bradford did at OU. But when he does throw it, he’s efficient much like Bradford. McCarron has completed 66.0 percent of his career passes and Bradford hit on 67.6 percent. McCarron’s TD-interception ration is 54-9; Bradford, 88-16. Neither quarterbacks are threats to run the ball.